5 Cyber Security Basics for North East Small Businesses

Once your email is done, check the other accounts your business relies on, such as your website and domain hosting, banking and social media. The same rules apply: a strong password that's different for every account, and 2-step verification wherever it's offered. If you've reused a password on important accounts, change it.

On passwords, the NCSC's advice has moved on from the old "mix of capitals, numbers and symbols" rule. It says not to use complexity requirements (opens in a new tab), because people end up with predictable patterns. It suggests three random words (opens in a new tab) for a password you need to remember, or a password manager that creates and stores strong ones for you.

Make a copy of everything your business needs to run: your website, emails, invoices, documents and customer information. The NCSC says to keep a backup online, on an external drive, or both, and to check that you know how to restore it. A ransomware attack can lock your files, and a backup means you aren't stuck. Don't leave a backup drive plugged in when you're not using it, because some viruses can spread to it.

You can do most of this yourself: start with your email, then your other accounts, then your backups. If you'd like a hand setting up backups or 2-step login, that's part of my small business IT support in Sunderland. If your website is the part that worries you, read what to do if your WordPress site is hacked.